The i hate xmas thread

[mungo57]

3 minutes ago, Yoghurt on a Stick said:

Do you work for a council ie. are there millions of lights and also working at height issues? I'd probably be able to get you a cheaper quote than that but suspect you have to draw off a list of approved contractors?

private commercial building, and yes we have to go with a set list of contractors.

Our building maintenance company wanted £7k, our installers last year wanted £3k when we bought the lights and the same company this year wants £4780 I think the quote is - I suspect mainly because of work at height issues. They keep going on about their new cherry picker so I suspect a grand of that is for use of that. We only have to use them as our owner is on the board for something or other to do with Kingston Borough council and the company we are using are installing all xmas lights in the borough for the council.

Thanks for the offer mate but as you said, have to use one of 3 contractors which is a shame.

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

1 minute ago, mungo57 said:

private commercial building, and yes we have to go with a set list of contractors.

Our building maintenance company wanted £7k, our installers last year wanted £3k when we bought the lights and the same company this year wants £4780 I think the quote is - I suspect mainly because of work at height issues. They keep going on about their new cherry picker so I suspect a grand of that is for use of that. We only have to use them as our owner is on the board for something or other to do with Kingston Borough council and the company we are using are installing all xmas lights in the borough for the council.

Thanks for the offer mate but as you said, have to use one of 3 contractors which is a shame.

Sounds like your 3 contractors may do a lot of talking to each other - you win this one, I'll win that one etc. Seen it all before.

[mungo57]

8 minutes ago, Yoghurt on a Stick said:

Sounds like your 3 contractors may do a lot of talking to each other - you win this one, I'll win that one etc. Seen it all before.

our building maintenance company won't be involved in this sort of thing, they are based far far away from the other 2 firms. Both the firms with lower quotes are specialist lighting/marquee contractors so I can believe them 2 would be talking to each other about it. Personally I reckon our maintenance guys don't want the work (would be done overnight and as I said they are based quite far away from here) so they intentionally priced themselves out. I've dealt with enough contractors to believe you when you say they are probably colluding.

 

Don't make me hate xmas any less though! lol

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

1 minute ago, mungo57 said:

our building maintenance company won't be involved in this sort of thing, they are based far far away from the other 2 firms. Both the firms with lower quotes are specialist lighting/marquee contractors so I can believe them 2 would be talking to each other about it. Personally I reckon our maintenance guys don't want the work (would be done overnight and as I said they are based quite far away from here) so they intentionally priced themselves out. I've dealt with enough contractors to believe you when you say they are probably colluding.

 

Don't make me hate xmas any less though! lol

Yeah, I had a second thought about that really high priced one and thought that maybe they were putting in an insane amount because they didn't really want the work. Nice position to be in. Are you a surveyor or in Facilities Management?

[mungo57]

Just now, Yoghurt on a Stick said:

Yeah, I had a second thought about that really high priced one and thought that maybe they were putting in an insane amount because they didn't really want the work. Nice position to be in. Are you a surveyor or in Facilities Management?

neither, I am a Building Manager - I look after a few contracts but I have to answer to a Regional Facilities Manager. She couldn't be arsed getting quotes so 'delegated' down to me. Now I can see why she didn't want to get involved

Our regular roofer tried to pull a fast one recently. We wanted 1 aluminium hoarding panel from an LED display removed and remounted as it got kicked by a pisshead from our nightclub and because he didn't want the work he asked us for 2 grand!

I got a handyman in with his son and he did the job for £100 cash!

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

2 minutes ago, mungo57 said:

neither, I am a Building Manager - I look after a few contracts but I have to answer to a Regional Facilities Manager. She couldn't be arsed getting quotes so 'delegated' down to me. Now I can see why she didn't want to get involved

Our regular roofer tried to pull a fast one recently. We wanted 1 aluminium hoarding panel from an LED display removed and remounted as it got kicked by a pisshead from our nightclub and because he didn't want the work he asked us for 2 grand!

I got a handyman in with his son and he did the job for £100 cash!

It's amazing how much one could save a company if you didn't have to adhere to their Policies & Procedures. I've actually done it before myself in order to save a company (a housing charity) money, but if I'd got cought they would have dismissed me on the spot - even though I was working in their interest.

I used to be a Building Maintenance Surveyor (for 25 years) and have seen all sorts of people both internally and externally be cought out on fraud. Some of it was very big scale indeed ie millions of pounds. The two people in our organisation got a good few years inside for that one. Personally I could have defrauded the charity for loads of money had I so wished and they would never have been able to prove it because there would be no forensic trail with which to catch me out on. Needless to say, I didn't go down this path.

[mungo57]

11 minutes ago, Yoghurt on a Stick said:

It's amazing how much one could save a company if you didn't have to adhere to their Policies & Procedures. I've actually done it before myself in order to save a company (a housing charity) money, but if I'd got cought they would have dismissed me on the spot - even though I was working in their interest.

I used to be a Building Maintenance Surveyor (for 25 years) and have seen all sorts of people both internally and externally be cought out on fraud. Some of it was very big scale indeed ie millions of pounds. The two people in our organisation got a good few years inside for that one. Personally I could have defrauded the charity for loads of money had I so wished and they would never have been able to prove it because there would be no forensic trail with which to catch me out on. Needless to say, I didn't go down this path.

Thats good Yog, don't want to see a fellow efester in the clink

I've been known to cut corners to save my boss money but I will agree that procedures are a right ballache. I swear I could do things for half the money sometimes if I didn't happen to have to use an 'approved contractor'!

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

1 minute ago, mungo57 said:

Thats good Yog, don't want to see a fellow efester in the clink

I've been known to cut corners to save my boss money but I will agree that procedures are a right ballache. I swear I could do things for half the money sometimes if I didn't happen to have to use an 'approved contractor'!

I've got to dash out now but was wondering if your contractors have to use a schedule of rates in order to price up jobs, or do they just put in a written specification with a cost at the end?

Back later.

[mungo57]

57 minutes ago, Yoghurt on a Stick said:

I've got to dash out now but was wondering if your contractors have to use a schedule of rates in order to price up jobs, or do they just put in a written specification with a cost at the end?

Back later.

standard rate for callouts I think (I don't get to see their invoices, my RFM pays them) and they will quote for one off jobs too. They do out PPM monthly and that contract was negotiated before I even started working here so to be honest, I have no idea.

I only get to see the odd quote from them and from all the other contractors we use - my RFM likes to keep maintenance to herself for some reason.

[eFestivals]

On 18/10/2016 at 7:04 AM, Untz said:

Christmas is for life, not just for Christmas.

a granny is for life, not just for Liverpudlians.

(they always love their gran, i've seen it on x-factor )

 

[guypjfreak]

there WAS a street down here in poole that did the WHOLE fucking thing EVERY house had lights i mean the whole bloody street and people [ strange people ]  came from miles around to seethese silly lights so many that now the police cant police it ...yea that many people [ strannnnnnnnge people ] SO now they have to not do it so much ..

now just think about it if you were to move from the falkland islands in say march and you new nothing of this stupid custom [ and you hate xmas or suffer from epolepsy ] you would be right pissed off if suddenly come dec all these bloody lights started coming out ...aggggggg

cant stand it this geezer just round the cornor does his house does my head in AND YES AND these idiots probebly want to save the fucking world ...well if they do turn your bloody lights OFFFFFFF init ......i have a tree [ cos im told by my wife i have to ] but as soon as the grankids are gone or the wife is cooking the lights go off ..the stuff goes up 12 days before and are down on the morning of the 12th day after ...very quickly i may add ......any way im off for an op now so i hope you all have a nice day cos i wont remember most of it but at least i wont wake up with a strange bloke with a white beard grinning at the bottom of my bed ...im hoping itll be a nice nurse lol

[Deaf Nobby Burton]

I love the build up to xmas, the day itself sucks balls.

Just had a mini argument with the other half over it, we're at the awkward age, we don't have kids yet, but we aren't young however we aren't old enough to host xmas either (if we offered nobody would take it seriously) so we have to split our time between both families without upsetting anybody. You end up pleasing nobody satisfactorily least of all yourself, you maybe get an hour in the morning between the two of you that's enjoyable then the rest of the day is total shyte just trying to please everybody else. 

[CaledonianGonzo]

Just alternate years.

[Deaf Nobby Burton]

2 minutes ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

Just alternate years.

We try to, last year we spent it with the other halfs mum, this year it's supposed to be my family but we're now under pressure to go and see the other halfs family in the evening. I've said no which is the right thing to do as it's only fair, but ultimately whatever you do you end up pissing somebody off, in this case my wife and her mother. Unfortunately some people can't deal with logic and that fact that we spent it with them last year means nothing now. I find it a ridiculous carry on for one day of the year. 

[Hugh Jass]

I am very much in the pro-Christmas camp.

A few days off work, stuffing myself silly, drinks with family and friends.

What's not to like?

[Purple aki squat]

14 hours ago, eFestivals said:

a granny is for life, not just for Liverpudlians.

(they always love their gran, i've seen it on x-factor )

 

Rooney does

[Homer]

I'll be India (Kerala, most likely) on Christmas Day, and def in Goa for New Year (reckon I'll take on a trance party or two). I actually love Christmas in this country - but I reckon I'll get over it.

[guypjfreak]

On 19/10/2016 at 2:12 PM, Deaf Nobby Burton said:

We try to, last year we spent it with the other halfs mum, this year it's supposed to be my family but we're now under pressure to go and see the other halfs family in the evening. I've said no which is the right thing to do as it's only fair, but ultimately whatever you do you end up pissing somebody off, in this case my wife and her mother. Unfortunately some people can't deal with logic and that fact that we spent it with them last year means nothing now. I find it a ridiculous carry on for one day of the year. 

Yea we have same thing ....the ONLY thing I like about Xmas is seeing my grand daughter smile but as those with kids will know there happy with just the bloody big box most often lol 

Trying to keep everyone happy is impossible ....I know I hate Xmas as we never had a good one growing up and that stays with you .....I think it wouldn't be so bad if it didn't start in September lol.,....................

[morph100]

How many xmas days are you having? We are planning a friends Christmas Day, then family day, work day, other family day, then Boxing Day, leftovers day, other friends party, then New Year's Eve party....what's not to like?

[guypjfreak]

On 21/10/2016 at 10:50 PM, morph100 said:

How many xmas days are you having? We are planning a friends Christmas Day, then family day, work day, other family day, then Boxing Day, leftovers day, other friends party, then New Year's Eve party....what's not to like?

Like your style old son